Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have one piece of housekeeping before I bring in witnesses. Can I take it that the draft minutes of the last public joint committee meeting of Friday, 29 January, are agreed? Agreed. I remind members that we will be meeting in private session this afternoon at 3. 30 p.m.

I welcome the witnesses to our meeting this morning. They will be providing us with an update on Covid-19 in nursing homes: from Nursing Homes Ireland, Mr. Tadhg Daly, chief executive; Professor Dermot Power, gerontology expert; and Ms Deirdre Shanagher, strategic clinical nurse expert with regulatory compliance; from the Department of Health, Dr. Kathleen MacLellan, assistant secretary, social care division; Mr. Niall Redmond, principal officer, services for older people unit; and finally, from the HSE, Ms Yvonne O'Neill, national director, community operations; Dr. Siobhán Kennelly, national clinical and advisory group leader, older persons; and Ms Sandra Tuohy, assistant national director, services for older people.

Before we hear the opening statements, I need to point out to the witnesses that there is uncertainty as to whether parliamentary privilege applies to evidence given from a location outside the parliamentary precincts of Leinster House. Therefore, if witnesses are directed by me to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter, they must respect that direction.

I call Mr. Daly to make his opening remarks.